Proud of my brothers in armed forces: Pahalgam attack victims' wife from Gujarat
Ahmedabad: 'I'm proud of my brothers in the armed forces, who feel the pain and sorrow of their sisters' sindoor being wiped away in this tragedy and are driven to fight for justice,' said Kajal Parmar, the wife of Yatishbhai Parmar and mother of 17-year-old Smit Parmar, both of whom were killed in the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. The Parmar family was part of a 19-member tourist group from Bhavnagar, Gujarat, that had attended a Ram Katha by Morari Bapu in Srinagar before visiting Pahalgam
Speaking to the media after India carried out precision strikes at multiple terror sites in Pakistan early Wednesday, Kajal said that the attack not just took away her husband and son but the lives and dreams of several families—fathers, mothers, children—leaving a nation in grief.
'I'm so grateful for Operation Sindoor and to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking swift action. They took my family, but they will not escape justice. We want these terrorists wiped off the face of the earth,' she added.
In an operation named 'Sindoor', Indian armed forces conducted strikes on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in the early hours of Wednesday, the defence ministry said.
India's Press Information Bureau (PIB) said in a release that nine sites were targeted in the military strikes in Pakistan. 'These steps come in the wake of the barbaric Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen were murdered. We are living up to the commitment that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable. There will be detailed briefing on 'OPERATION SINDOOR', later today,' the release read.
Also read:Father, son from Gujarat's Bhavnagar killed in Pahalgam terror attack
Kajal, who escaped the Pahalgam attack because her nephew pulled her to safety, recalled, 'It was over in five minutes. I saw it with my own eyes—they asked about our religion before starting to shoot us. Had it not been for my nephew, I wouldn't be alive today.'
The Parmar family was part of a 19-member tourist group from Bhavnagar, Gujarat, that had attended a Ram Katha by Morari Bapu in Srinagar before visiting Pahalgam, 90 kilometers away. Sixteen in the group were unharmed, while Vinodbhai Dabhi, another Bhavnagar resident, suffered a bullet graze to his arm. Yatishbhai and Smit were listed as missing on April 22, with their deaths confirmed the next day.
'Modi Saheb has shown patience, but this time they've gone too far. He can't see us in this pain,' Kajal added.
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Indian Express
26 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Knowledge Nugget: Golden Dome missile defence system — A must know for UPSC Exam
Take a look at the essential events, concepts, terms, quotes, or phenomena every day and brush up your knowledge. Here's your knowledge nugget for today on Golden Dome. (Relevance: Various air defence systems, missiles, fighter jets, and aircraft types are some of the important topics of defence technology that have been asked by UPSC in prelims. In 2018, a question was asked on Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD). As in the backdrop of Operation Sindoor, air defence systems have been in the news; it becomes important to know about the Golden Dome and Iron Dome. US President Donald Trump has offered the 'Golden Dome' missile defence system for free to Canada, which had shown interest after the Republican leader announced it but added a rider that Ottawa can have it without paying any charge 'if it becomes part of the US' 51st State'. Notably, on May 20, US President Donald Trump said he has shortlisted a design for the 'Golden Dome' missile defence shield and made General Michael Guetlein of the US Space Force in charge of the project. In this context, let's know about Trump's proposed 'Golden Dome' and what it is inspired by. 1. First floated by Trump this January, the Golden Dome is inspired by Israel's much lauded Iron Dome system — a short-range, ground-to-air, air defence system. But it is far more ambitious in scale and scope, and seeks to integrate 'next-generation' technologies across land, sea, and even space. 2. Trump said that the system will comprise, among other things, space-based sensors and interceptors. If this were to be true, this would make the Golden Dome the very first truly space-based weapon system. 3. As of right now, the use of space technology in defence has largely been restricted to reconnaissance. Satellites provide crucial targeting and other data for Earth-based weapon systems such as long-range missiles, guided munitions, etc. 4. The proposed Golden Dome goes one step further, with the introduction of interceptors to be launched from space. Exactly how they will work is still unclear. But according to the initial plans, the system will comprise thousands of small satellites orbiting Earth, which will intercept an enemy missile mere moments after it is launched, NPR reported. 5. Trump said the defense shield would cost some $175 billion, and will be operational by January 2029, when his term ends. But industry experts are skeptical of both this timeline and estimated cost, Reuters reported. 6. Technologically speaking, the idea behind Golden Dome is not far-fetched. But it is untested, and at the moment, more of a 'concept'. 'Right now, Golden Dome is, it's really an idea,' one source had told CNN in March. This also makes projecting timelines and costs very difficult, the article added. 1. Iron Dome is a short-range, ground-to-air, air defence system that includes a radar and Tamir interceptor missiles that track and neutralise any rockets or missiles aimed at Israeli targets. It is used for countering rockets, artillery & mortars (C-RAM) as well as aircraft, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles. 2. The genesis of the Iron Dome goes back to the 2006 Israeli-Lebanon war, when the Hezbollah fired thousands of rockets into Israel. The following year, Israel announced that its state-run Rafael Advance Systems would come up with a new air defence system to protect its cities and people. It was developed with Israel Aerospace Industries. 3. Notably, the idea behind Trump's proposed Golden Dome is inspired by Israel's much lauded Iron Dome system. 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It lays down the following governing principles: 📌 The exploration and use of outer space will be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries and will be the province of all mankind. 📌 Outer space will be free for exploration and use by all states. 📌 Outer space is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty. 📌 States will not place nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit or on celestial bodies or station them in outer space in any other manner. 📌 The Moon and other celestial bodies will be used exclusively for peaceful purposes. 📌 Astronauts will be regarded as the envoys of mankind. 📌 States will be responsible for national space activities whether carried out by governmental or non-governmental entities. 📌 States will be liable for damage caused by their space objects. 📌 States shall avoid harmful contamination of space and celestial bodies. 1. The Artemis Accords, launched by NASA and the US Department of State in 2020, have 53 signatories, including India. 2. It implements fundamental commitments from the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and emphasises commitment to the Registration Convention, the Rescue and Return Agreement, and best practices for responsible behaviour, such as the public distribution of scientific data. 3. The accords are a series of non-binding agreements that establish principles to be respected in outer space. With reference to the Outer Space Treaty, consider the following statements: 1. It entered into force during the peak of World War II and provides the basic framework on international space law that remains in place to date. 2. As per one of the Articles of the treaty the activities of non-governmental entities in outer space shall require authorisation and continuing supervision by the appropriate State Party to the Treaty. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 (Sources: What we know about Trump's 'Golden Dome', Trump offers Golden Dome missile shield to Canada 'for free', but 'only if it joins US as 51st state', What is the Outer Space Treaty and why the US and Russia are at odds over it? ) Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – Indian Express UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for May 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at Roshni Yadav is a Deputy Copy Editor with The Indian Express. She is an alumna of the University of Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University, where she pursued her graduation and post-graduation in Political Science. She has over five years of work experience in ed-tech and media. At The Indian Express, she writes for the UPSC section. Her interests lie in national and international affairs, governance, economy, and social issues. You can contact her via email: ... Read More
India Today
41 minutes ago
- India Today
Can China turn off India's tap, hit land formation?
It's impossible that anyone who has taken a train to Guwahati and crossed the Saraighat Bridge hasn't been left amazed by the width of the Brahmaputra. It looks like a sea. Just to imagine that the mighty Brahmaputra gushes as a stream, called Yarlung Tsangpo, in Tibet is unimaginable for millions of Indians. But that's the fact and the visual answer to the question -- can China turn the Brahmaputra tap off for India?advertisementThe idea that China, being the upper riparian country, might be capable of controlling the flow of the Tsangpo-Brahmaputra river system was brought up by Pakistan after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).That scare-mongering was promptly addressed by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. But what do research data and experts suggest? Can China block or divert the flow of Yarlung Tsangpo and hit India's water supply? Diverting the flow of a high-sediment river like the Brahmaputra won't be just about the water, it would also hit soil formation downstream."If India does something like this that they stop the flow [of rivers] to Pakistan, then China can also do the same thing," Rana Ihsaan Afzal, a senior aide to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, told Geo News on May remarks caused some consternation given the fact that China is constructing the 60,000-MW Medong Dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo at the Great Bend, near the India-China rule out any possibility of China blocking or diverting water, and say a bigger worry should be that the massive dam -- one of the biggest in the world -- is coming up in a calamity-prone area in China-controlled Nilanjan Ghosh, who has studied the Tsangpo-Brahmaputra River System for close to two decades, says that it has never been China's position to block the flow of the Brahmaputra, albeit it aims to build run-of-the-river dams."Any attempt to divert the flow would be counterproductive as it would result in upstream floods because of sediment accumulation," Ghosh, Vice President, Development Studies at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), tells India Today expert says China won't be able to "turn off the tap" as the Brahmaputra is primarily a rain- and tributary-fed river, and the Yarlung Tsangpo contributes just 10-15% of the entire volume of the Brahmaputra's water."The Brahmaputra gets fatter and fatter as it moves downstream," says Ghosh. China contributes only a small portion of the Brahmaputra's total water. As the river flows through India, its volume increases more than six times due to several tributaries joining in. (Image: Arun Uniyal/India Today) In January this year, Ghosh and fellow researcher, Sayanangshu Modak, published a research paper in the peer-reviewed International Journal of Water Resources Development where they used hydrological data to junk the rhetoric around China being capable of turning the Brahmaputra tap collated over the years show that the discharge of the Yarlung Tsangpo, measured at Nuxia in Tibet, to be at 31.2 billion cubic meters (BCM) annually, which then swells to an estimated 78.1 BCM as it passes through the Great Bend and exits the measuring station at Pandu in Guwahati, the Brahmaputra's annual discharge is 526 BCM, showing a six-fold volume increase. At Bahadurabad, in Bangladesh, which is just across the border with India, the annual discharge is 606 shows that since the river's entry into India, the Brahmaputra has been fed by its tributaries to grow Brahmaputra has shaped Assam for centuries by carving out banks and creating shape-shifting islands. It has caused flooding woes, but has also left behind life-sustaining fertile Majuli island on the Brahmaputra is the world's biggest riverine island, and has been at the heart of neo-Vaishnavism, spearheaded by Srimanta Sankaradeva. The Vaishnavite satras (monastries) in Majuli have been centres of cultural and art for the one-horned rhino, the twin-leaf tea buds and the xorai and gamusa, the Brahmaputra has become a marker for Assam's civilisational identity."Mahabahu Brahmaputra" is how legendary Assamese singer Bhupen Hazarika refers to the mighty river in one of his ever-popular songs, which tells the story of the land it BRAHMAPUTRA FLOODS SUGGESTOriginating in the Angsi Glacier in western Tibet, the Yarlung Tsangpo travels 1,625 km in the China-controlled territory of Tibet and enters India after the Great Bend near the Namcha Barwa peak. Then, as the Brahmaputra, it flows for 918 km within India and another 337 km in Bangladesh, where it is called Jamuna, and empties into the Bay of length of the Tsangpo-Brahmaputra system in Tibet gives the perception that it is a major river with a huge water volume in agrees with Himanta Biswa Sarma's analysis of the Brahmaputra but calculates the Tsangpo's water contribution to the Brahmaputra at much lower than the 30-35% pegged by the Assam chief expert says though the river system completes 56% of its run in China, it contributes just 15% of the water in its boundary."That is why some literature suggests the Yarlung Tsangpo to be a tributary of the Brahmaputra," Ghosh tells India Today is believed that the Brahmaputra was actually formed at Sadia in eastern Assam after the merger of three rivers -- the Dihang (Siang), Lohit and Dibang."So, I don't think that, given these hydrological facts, there will be any substantial impact on India, even if China blocks the flow of Tsangpo," says Ghosh. The Brahmaputra in Assam gains significant volume of water as it flows parallel to the Himalayan foothills and is fed by many snowmelt tributaries such as the Subansiri, Kameng, and Kameng rivers.(Image: Arun Uniyal/India Today) advertisementDerek J Grossman, a national security and Indo-Pacific analyst with Rand Corporation, says Pakistan cannot count on China to turn off the tap as monsoons feed the Brahmaputra."China has little control over the water flow of the Brahmaputra River, according to Indian government officials. One reason is that monsoons are the primary source of water. Another is that Beijing can only halt roughly 30 percent of the flow. Pakistan can't count on China," says one should remember, is a cold desert with very little precipitation. It is the glaciers that give birth to the rivers India, the Brahmaputra has been linked with devastating annual floods, which are a result of the water drained into it by over two dozen tributaries in the monsoon – the town where experts argue that the Brahmaputra is formed – is the town where Bhupen Hazarika was born, and a good part of it was engulfed by the Brahmaputra as it changed course after the earthquake in rebukes the Brahmaputra, referring to it as Burha Luit, in one of his songs, for flowing silently, deaf to the wails of the numerous people on its banks. "...Burha Luit tumi boa kiyo (Why do you flow)," he BLOCKING OF BRAHMAPUTRA FLOW WON'T HIT SOIL FORMATIONExperts have suggested that the Brahmaputra is an antecedent river that is older than the the Brahmaputra, in its age-old wisdom, flows silently, taking away land, like in Sadia, the sediment it carries is crucial to soil from the perspective of soil formation and fertility, China's blocking of the Yarlung-Tsangpo wouldn't impact to the 2016 book -- River morphodynamics and stream ecology of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau -- by Chinese experts, the annual suspended sediment load of the Yarlung-Tsangpo near Nuxia in Tibet is around 30 million metric tonnes (mmt), much lower than the 735 mmt of sediment load at Bahadurabad in stream-like Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet cannot carry the sediment load, and it is the powerful Brahmaputra that does the heavy-lifting of the sediment load not just in India but to form the fertile Jamuna floodplain in average width of the Brahmaputra is 5.46 km, according to the Assam Water Resources website. In areas where it forms a braided system due to sediment deposition, the width extends to up to 18 km. Satellite images show the Yarlung Tsangpo (top) in Tibet as a narrow, fast-flowing river cutting through the plateau, while in the Assam plains the Brahmaputra (bottom) spreads out and swells into braided channels, often accommodating islands as large as Majuli and the one with the Dibru-Saikhowa National The scale of the two images is not uniform, and they are presented only for visual comparison, not to exact proportions. (Image: Google Maps) INDUS WATERS TREATY SUSPENSION AND CHINA'S DAMSThe Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) that India kept in abeyance after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack is very different from the treaty that India has with China on the Tsangpo-Brahmaputra the IWT is a water-sharing treaty under which India gave the rights to water use of the western rivers of the Indus Rivers System to India, the pact with China on Yarlung-Brahmaputra is just for sharing of information, and not China could do worst is stop sharing hydrological data with India, but even that won't matter much, according to Ghosh."India has an MoU with China for hydrological data from three stations [in China]. Even if China stops sharing data, it won't matter because the information isn't helping much anyway due to the wrong choice of stations [agreed on] by the Indian government at the beginning of the millennia," he tells India Today says no one should draw parallels between the Indus Water System and the Tsangpo-Brahmaputra River System because of the difference in the nature of the two."The Indus System is largely fed by glacial and ice melt. It has around 45% to 55% normalised melting index (NMI). While the contribution of glacial and ice melt of the Brahmaputra is barely 10-12%," says this means is that the bulk of the water in the Indus River System is added upstream, which isn't true in the case of the Yarlung-Brahmaputra. While India has the advantage of being the upper riparian state in the case of the Indus system, China doesn't enjoy that in the case of the Pakistan, an agrarian economy, is completely dependent on the Indus River System for its agriculture and power generation, India, according to Ghosh, barely taps 25% of the renewable water flow of the while Pakistan might love to believe that its "all-weather friend" China might be able to turn the tap off on India and hurt it, this isn't true going by the hydrological and meteorological Brahmaputra has historically been associated with Assam's resilience. The Saraighat rail bridge that one uses to travel to Guwahati is a reminder of was the crucial Battle of Saraighat, led by legendary Ahom general Lachit Borphukan, on the Brahmaputra that led to the defeat of the Mughal forces and the end of the siege of Brahmaputra nurtures Assam. It is formed in Sadia and China cannot weaponise its waters against India.
News18
41 minutes ago
- News18
FDs, Senior Citizens, And Stock Market: Inside The Rs 4.58 Cr ICICI Bank Fraud
Last Updated: A 26-year-old ICICI Bank manager in Kota, Rajasthan, was arrested for siphoning Rs 4.58 crore from senior citizens' FDs and loans between 2020 and 2023. ICICI Bank Fraud Case: Banks are considered one of the safest places to park your unused money when you don't need it. Fixed Deposit, a financial instrument of giving your money to banks in returns of fixed interest and the full amount after the tenure, is popular among Indians, especially millennials. FDs not only help to secure your money but also allow you to reduce the risk of inflation-beaten deduction of value. The illusion of safety can be broken into pieces if the entrusted employees of a big public lender bank have stolen your money parked in FDs. A shocking case has come to the spotlight where a bank manager of ICICI bank from Kota, Rajasthan was alleged to siphon off money from Senior Citizens' FDs and loans in a period of three years. A 26-year-old ICICI Bank relationship manager has been arrested for allegedly siphoning off Rs 4.58 crore from customers, mainly senior citizens, between 2020 and 2023. The fraud was uncovered by the bank's internal audit team, which alerted the branch manager, leading to a police FIR and her arrest on May 31, 2025. According to reports, the employee misused financial instruments like fixed deposits, overdrafts, and personal loans in customers' names without consent. She misused the digital naivety of the senior citizen's customers. The accused employee is reported to be used the stolen money in stock market. She used the platforms like ICICI Direct and Zerodha to trade in derivatives. The reports state that most of the customers who had been duped were seniors without any knowledge of digital banking. The employee reportedly concealed her tracks well, delaying detection. How the fraud unfolded (2020–2023): 1) Targeted Elderly Customers: The accused focused on senior citizens who had fixed deposits (FDs) and limited tech knowledge. 2) Misused Financial Products: Prematurely broke customers' FDs Created overdrafts (ODs) Took personal loans — all in customers' names, without their consent 3) Routed Funds to a Third-Party Account: She transferred the stolen funds to a third-party 'pool account" to avoid detection. 4) Traded in Stock Market: She used the stolen money to trade in derivatives (F&O) on platforms like ICICI Direct and Zerodha (Kite). 5) Covered Her Digital Tracks: She skillfully hid her online activity, making it hard for coworkers or managers to spot the fraud. 6) Audit Team Detected Irregularities: ICICI Bank's internal audit team uncovered the scam, leading to her suspension and arrest. About the Author Business Desk First Published: June 08, 2025, 09:57 IST
